Wanted
by DrawnToTheRhythm
Summary: A series of one-shots between season 1 and 8 of how Sam and Jack got from "You'll like me when you get to know me" to "It's complicated". Sam/Jack with a hint of Sam/Pete in one chapter. Written for Valenship 2013 for the GW Shipper family, inspired by the songs from Hunter Hayes' debut album.
1. Storm Warning

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. If I did Sam and Jack would be married with a daughter named Grace by now and Pete would never have existed.

A/N: this was written for Valenship 2013 on the Gateworld Forum. inspired by SaraBahama's request to make a vid to the song "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes.

...

She rolled in from the West  
In a summer sun dress  
Hotter than the heat in July...

What a beautiful mess  
One part angel, one part perfect, one part brick  
I've got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning...  
I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

- Storm Warning by Hunter Hayes

...

Jack O'Neill stood up and saluted as his new CO, General Hammond, left his new team at the briefing table. His new 2IC stood ramrod straight, staring after the General. Jack cleared his throat and her head snapped round to face him. Giving her his best friendly smile which strained his facial muscles no end, he gestured to her.

"At ease, Captain," he jerked his head towards the stairs, "We should probably go get geared up for another jaunt through the old orifice."

Sam's lips unwittingly turned up almost imperceptibly at the corners before she frowned and straightened her expression.

"Yes, Sir!"

Jack walked around the table and stopped next to Sam's chair when she hesitated. Jack waggled his eyebrows and motioned towards the stairs which Ferretti and Kawalsky had just fled down.

"Ladies first."

Sam's scowl was stalled by the jovial glint in O'Neill's eye. Sam bit back the urge to roll her eyes at him and fell into step next to him.

"Of course, Sir. Wouldn't want to keep the guys waiting now, would we, Sir? You know how we scientists can drag our *heels*!" And, winking, she about turned and left.

Jack's mouth opened then he paused as he took in her words. If he hadn't known any better his subordinate sounded for a second like she was verging on insubordination. He stared after her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Shaking his head and following her lead towards the locker room he got a feeling that Captain Carter was going to be a handful. Quite how, he still wasn't certain, but she seemed sharp as knife and there was an underlying *something* that he just couldn't quite put his finger on. It intrigued him no end. Hell, someone who dared give him the kind of spunky greeting she'd just given him whilst remaining the right side of insubordination was something in his book.

He might just have to start re-evaluating his opinion of scientists. Then again, maybe not. After all, this scientist had logged over 100 hours in enemy air space. She didn't really count as one of those nerds, right? The devil on his shoulder grinned *...and, speaking of heels, when was the last time you met a nerd with legs up to her armpits?* He groaned and quickly shoved that thought away and back into the gutter where it belonged.

He just hoped she was a good shot, he had a feeling they'd need it.


	2. More Than I Should

When you're stuck on the wrong end of the gun  
You put your finger on that trigger and you shot me where I stood  
I found out the hard way I loved you more than I should...

Last night I found myself inside the strangest, sweetest dream  
You were standing, arms wide open right in front of me  
The closer I moved toward you, the further away you stood  
I woke up and whispered "I love you more than I should"  
They'll write on my gravestone  
I loved you more than I should

- More Than I Should by Hunter Hayes

...

"Colonel?!" A voice called out from the dark and Jack thrashed about, eyes moving frantically under his eyelids as he lay in bed. "Sir!" The shouting became more insistent. He could hear her but all he could see was darkness. Footfalls. Clanking, heavy footfalls. "Carter!" A blue flash suddenly lit the room and he caught her silhouette lunge forward, arms above her head, her eyes wide, the light behind them dying before him. "CARTER!"

Jack jumped up out of bed, his breathing heavy. Tangled in his sweat-soaked sheets, he tried to swing himself up, tripped, nosedived off the edge of the bed and landed in spectacular fashion in a crumpled heap of grey linen. His knee crunched as it bore the brunt of his weight. Swearing loudly, Jack slammed his fist into the carpet in front of him. His eyes adjusted to the moonlight filtering through the curtains as he tried to slow his breathing, calming himself down.

Disentangling himself from his duvet he knelt, testing his weight on the leg he had just landed on and then sprang up and made a beeline for his bathroom. Leaning on the sink he stared at the mirror, his hair sticking up wildly and the sweaty sheen across his torso a stark reminder of the terror he'd just woken from.

Damn it! Carter was alive and well and probably asleep a few miles away at... Oh three hundred on a Saturday morning. Jack pressed his fingers into his cheekbones, the pressure of his fingers leaving white indents in the slightly tanned puffy circles under his eyes. It was the third night in a row he'd woken soaked in his own sweat calling out to her. Man, he was looking old, he mused. His brain was too wired to sleep so he switched on the shower and peeled his shorts off while the steam billowed from behind the glass screen. Stepping under the pounding spray he placed his hands on the wall above his head and leaned into the spray allowing it to run down his face. He could taste salt as the water ran across his lips. He closed his eyes for an instant and suddenly he could see her face behind the force shield, the memory still fresh in his mind after all these months, gazing at him with those big baby blues shining with tears as she visibly held back her sob.

"Sir, just go..."

"NO!"

His eyes flew open and he groaned as he leaned his forehead against the wall. How had he allowed this to happen? I mean, sure, they had become close, him, Daniel, Carter, Teal'c. They were practically like family. But that one word had brought his world crashing down around him. When the hell had it gone from being risking his life for his teammate to, well, *this*? The thing that he dared not label for fear that it would finish him off for good.

"Sir... None of this has to leave this room?"

Her words resounded in his head. And he'd agreed! It's not like he'd had a choice, really.

Closing his eyes he suddenly found himself visualising what she would have done if he'd shook his head, backed her up into the wall and pressed his lips firmly to hers, brushing her lips, his tongue gently stroking hers. He imagined her whimper escape as she dug her fingers into his shirt shoulders, pulling him to her. God, her hands...

He was rudely brought out of his fantasy by the shrill ringing of his cell phone. Groaning loudly he shut off the water, roughly grabbed his towel off the rail and sprinted to his bedside table. Flipping the phone open he grunted a sharp 'O'Neill!' Into the receiver.

All he heard was static. And a ruffle of fabric. Jack glared into the phone. Just as he was about to hang up, a small voice whispered a "Sir" into his ear. Jack stiffened and self-consciously wrapped the towel a little tighter around his waist.

"Carter?" He asked, his voice taking on a concerned tone. "Everything ok?"

There was another pause. He could hear the cogs turning in her head and knew the exact moment her mind began back pedalling.

"Sir, I, I'm so sorry. Did I wake you?" She sighed awkwardly, "of, of course I did!" There was a muffled expletive. "I don't know why-"

Jack cut her off.

"Carter!" He barked, frustratedly. Silence. Damn, that had come out rougher than he had intended. "Sam," he tried again more softly. "Everything ok?"

"Yes, Sir. I,uh, never mind."

Jack almost laughed at the absurd comment.

"You called me at, oh three fifteen, to tell me 'sorry Sir nevermind'!?'

'Erm, yes, Sir. I mean, no, Sir."

This time Jack did laugh.

"Sam, it's after three in the morning, you think you can drop the 'Sir'?"

Another pause.

"Ah, yes, Colonel."

He sighed. Good enough, he supposed.

"Carter, not that I mind at all but why did you call me?"

He could practically see Sam staring at her boots.

"Well, I, uh, I mean I..." Yeah great one, Sam, tell him you just had a nightmare about him being tortured and wanted to check he was ok! "...had a feeling that something... Wasn't right."

Jack allowed himself to smile. She'd been dreaming about him. So much for it being one-sided. In a perverse way he was actually pleased to hear it wasn't just him having nightmares.

"Well as far as I can tell I'm still here and my bedroom hasn't been invaded by aliens so it's all good!" He announced chirpily.

Sam winced.

"Yes, Sir. Look I'm sorry to have woken you up-"

Jack shook his head even though she couldn't see it.

"You didn't Carter, I was just taking a showe-"

Shit! He hadn't meant to say that.

Sam suddenly felt her cheeks burning. An image flittered into her mind of him standing naked with beads of water running down his muscular torso towards-

"That's ok, Sir, I'm just gonna... Night!" She said rapidly before hanging up.

Jack stared at the dead tone on the phone for a few seconds before chuckling to himself. Some days his 2IC really confused him. Other days like today, well, he was sure she had no idea how damn obvious she was. Seems he wasn't the only one flustered at the thought of... Showers.


	3. Cry With You

When you try not to look at me  
Scared that I'll see you hurting  
You're not hiding anything, no  
And frankly it's got me worried  
Nobody knows you better than I do...

When you cry, I cry with you

- Cry With You by Hunter Hayes

...

Sam marched down the corridor towards her lab, a few airmen shifting to the walls as she passed, not wishing to incur her wrath. She entered her lab and forcefully slammed the door shut. The guard at the end of the corridor turned at the noise momentarily before raising an eyebrow and resuming his duties. Major Carter was not to be disturbed.

Sam paced up and down in front of her desk staring at the floor and clenching her fists. Her head raised up after a few minutes and she roughly pulled out her swivel chair and plonked herself down. She began aimlessly staring at the blueprints in front of her, picking up a pencil and tap-tap-tapping it against her desktop with increasing speed and force. Tap-tap-taptap*taptap**snap!* Sam's gaze shot to the splintered pencil stub in her hand. Growling, she tossed it into the trash can with a loud clang. This was usually the point where Daniel would appear tentatively at the door, raise his eyebrows and ask her if she was ok. Except Daniel was gone and that, partly, was the reason for her anger. Well, specifically a certain Colonel who refused to talk to her.

Not that he was big on talking under any circumstance but she'd at least expected some kind of quip or darkly humorous joke. Instead he'd brushed her aside as though Daniel's death meant nothing. Ok so he'd died more times than Buffy the vampire slayer but this time it was for real. No quick fixes, no sarcophagi, no miracles pulled out of their butts this time. And he knew it too. She suspected that's why he had clammed up. It was too close to the bone. Colonel O'Neill had a second-to-none defence system which effectively shut the person behind the uniform down when things got too personal. In a way she envied him but it also drove her insane at times like these. He was hurting just as much as she was yet here she was on her own.

Sam snorted to herself. It's not like she expected him to break into floods and throw himself into her arms or anything. But any reaction would have been better than this. Sparring in the gym, perhaps. Letting him take out his frustration as she held a pad in each hand. But then she knew he'd never take her up on that either. That was Teal'c's role. Maybe even a team night where they drowned their sorrows and drank to Daniel's memory. Nope, stinking drunk either of them in each others' company was a bad idea, even with Teal'c chaperoning. They'd either end up coming to blows or... *Like that would ever happen!* her inner voice goaded, snorting derisively.

Her anger melted away to resignation. Nothing she said or did would make a damn bit of difference to him right now. She just had to be patient, as always. But she couldn't help the slight uneasy feeling that settled in her stomach and Janet's words years earlier rang in her ears.

"You miss him."

Damn straight she did! But more than that she was concerned. Concerned that he was in pain. Concerned that he was shutting everyone out. But mostly concerned that the Jack O'Neill she had come to know the past 6 years had reverted back to his pre-SG1 ways. How many more times could he spring back from losing another loved one before they cracked? She was beginning to wonder for them both.


	4. Somebody's Heartbreak

Well I'd love to know just what you're thinking  
Every little river running through your mind  
You give and you take, you come and you go  
You leave me here wondering if I'll ever know  
How much you care or how much you don't  
Whatever you need, whatever you want  
If you're gonna be somebody's heartbreak  
If you're gonna be somebody's mistake...  
Baby be mine

- Somebody's Heartbreak by Hunter Hayes

...

Pete sat on the sofa nursing a beer with the muffled sounds of the A-team in the background. Taking a swig he glanced across at his girlfriend tapping away at the keys on her laptop. She was so engrossed in her work that he doubted she would notice if he left. He shifted uncomfortably. It had been two weeks and she still hasn't given him an answer. That in itself, he mused, might be all the answer he needed. But, yet, she hadn't said no. So maybe he had a chance.

...

Sam sat with her eyes glued to the screen, her hands drifting across the keys. She could feel his eyes on her and it made her uncomfortable. She knew he was waiting for her answer. Truth was, she didn't have an answer herself. The reason she'd agreed to the blind date in the first place was to move on, get away from the vague, pointless idea of *him*. And she'd been doing well. Until now. The day Pete had presented her with the ring she'd about turned and run. Wasn't this what she had been looking for? She wondered. Sure, she'd wanted a distraction, but a *husband*? Was that not taking it to the extreme?

And the entirely worst part of it all was that O'Neill hadn't reacted. At all! She wasn't sure what he had expected his reaction to be but it sure as hell wasn't the vague answer she'd gotten from him. Ok, so she hadn't quite meant to drop it on him like that but he'd come to her out of the blue and all of a sudden it was kind of now or never.

Sam had almost convinced herself that the thing between her and her CO still flickered somewhere, dim and concealed as it had had to be. But, it had seemed, she had been monumentally wrong. So much for her "one day". Seemed like that day was the 12th of never.

Maybe Pete's suggestion hadn't been such an untempting offer after all.


	5. If You Told Me To

I've seen a lot of good love go to waste  
And I don't wanna look back on these days  
Knowing all the things you'd never know  
If I never said a word and let you go

I don't wanna steal you away  
Or make you change the things that you believe  
I could be so good at loving you  
But only if you told me to

- If You Told Me To by Hunter Hayes

...

"Carter, fancy a trip to O'Malley's for steaks tonight?" Jack asked, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "T's starving." He added as she looked slightly uncomfortable at the prospect at it just being the two of them. Nope, that wasn't it. Still looked uncomfortable. Sam shifted her weight and glanced down at the floor between them.

"Ah, sorry Sir, I can't make it tonight."

"No worries, Carter. Hot date?" He smiled awkwardly, rocking on his heels. Sam blushed.

"Ah, Pete's taking me out for dinner. 6 month anniversary."

Jack's eyes went wide and he mouthed an 'o'. Damn, he'd hoped that that particular memory had been part of his nightmares in Antarctica. Sadly not. He'd kind of forgotten that she'd been seeing someone.

*Or was it that you hoped she'd left the shrub while you'd been gone?*

He shook his head.

"Not a problem, Carter. Have fun!" He said with a smile which isn't quite reach his eyes, his tone an almost imperceptible notch higher than it had been a second ago.

The elevator pinged.

"Well, Sir, I should probably..." Sam trailed off gesturing towards the elevator car's open doors.

Jack nodded.

"Yeah, I think I'll hang back and wait for T." He replied gesturing down the corridor.

"Goodnight, Sir." Sam said a slight hitch to her voice as she shifted her helmet under her arm and retreated before the doors lid closed.

Jack watched her walk away and took a deep breath.

He almost wished he hadn't stopped her confessing everything to him in the control room of the ship that day. But it wasn't the right time. Never was. But he'd been dying and it wouldn't have done either of them a damn bit of good. But now he was back and Sam was still unavailable now in more ways than one. He'd never found himself hating a cop so much in his life as he did this particular one. Sure, he under other circumstances was probably a great guy and Jack may have even made an effort to get to know him, but it wasn't and he didn't because... He made her hum. That memory came flooding back to him and it felt like a knife to the gut. Again. In another lifetime he knew he had made her happy, so why did *this* universe seem to hate him so much? Was it too much to ask for this war to end before he was too old and dried up or dead?

He smirked a little. Hell, he wasn't sure he'd ever be too old to appreciate Carter. But, it really had to be down to her. Pete made her happy, who was he to come between that? He was young enough and normal enough to give her the life Jack couldn't - kids, dog and a white picket fence. They'd never really discussed it but he assumed that Carter would want those things. After all, under the BDUs and the brains was a woman, she had needs and desires just like anyone else. And the less he contemplated her desires the better for his sanity, he mused.

Pete was one lucky SOB and Jack suspected he didn't have a clue. Or maybe he did. Either way, Sam in leather was a sight that no sane straight man could easily forget.

"I am ready to leave, O'Neill", Teal'c announced. Jack jumped slightly.

"T! I... Sorry, I didn't hear you." Teal'c nodded.

"Indeed." He raised an eyebrow. "Is Major Carter not joining us?"

Jack shuffled his feet.

"Ah, no, she has a...thing," he explained ineloquently. Teal'c nodded.

"Very well. It is a shame she will not be joining us tonight. We would have had much greater success in obtaining a table with her attire."

Jack suddenly found himself choking on nothing. Teal'c merely waited until the coughing had subsided before continuing.

"Did I not just see Major Carter pass this way wearing her motorcycle garments made from cow hide?"

Jack cleared his throat and glanced down at his boots then back up at Teal'c. If he didn't know better he could have sworn Teal'c was smirking. Except that Teal'c didn't smirk...

Busted!

Gruffly, Jack rammed his hands in his jacket pockets.

"What's your point?"

Yep, he was *definitely* smirking.

"I believe it is not one you would wish to hear at this time, O'Neill."

Jack squirmed a little.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's get outta here!"

And he made a mental note in future to work on his subtlety when checking out Carter's...attire.


	6. Wanted

You know I'd fall apart without you  
I don't know how you do what you do  
So put aside the math and the logic of it  
You gotta know you're wanted too

- Wanted by Hunter Hayes

...

*knock, knock, knock*

Sam glanced up at the doors and then the clock. 2100. She wasn't expecting anyone.

*knock, knock, knock*

Slowly uncurling her legs out from underneath her, Sam stood up from the sofa and walked cautiously towards the door. Glancing through the peep hole, a tall man dressed in blue jeans and a black leather jacket was standing on her porch with his hands stuffed in his pockets, staring at the floor and shuffling his feet.

Sam almost smiled and unfastened the safety chain to let her visitor in.

"Hi, Sir," she said softly as the door swung open to reveal her CO.

"Carter," he replied hesitantly, "I, ah, wasn't sure you'd be here. But I couldn't find you on the base so..." He peered around the door surreptitiously. "I'm... Intruding. I'll just-"

Sam's eyes went wide as she realised that he had heard voices.

"It's the TV, Sir." He nodded and mouthed an "oh" as he bounced on his heels. "Wanna come in?"

He smiled thinly.

"Sure." Suddenly springing into motion he almost leapt into her house as though any hesitation on his part might cause her to retract the offer.

"Take a seat," Sam said , motioning to her living room. "Fancy a beer? Soda? Coffee?"

Jack nodded.

"Coffee would be good, thanks. S'ok, I'll get it. You take a seat. You've had a long week." He said softly, heading towards her kitchen instead of the sofa. Sam opened her mouth to object but the look Jack gave her was enough to stop the words dead. She nodded, lowering her gaze, and took a seat on a stool at her breakfast bar. Jack set about boiling the kettle and retrieving her purple cafetiere and ground coffee from her cupboards. Sam smiled at his back as she watched him. No matter how many times Pete had stayed, he never could find her coffee in the cupboards. He worked in silence, concentrating fully on the task in hand, trying to think of his next move. Once two steaming mugs of the black stuff had been poured, he turned to her and handed one to her. As she reached out her left hand to grasp the mug, his fingers lightly brushed hers and he froze. Moving his fingers slightly, he grazed the base of her ring finger noting the distinct absence of the band of gold and diamond. He quickly withdrew his hand.

"Ah, milk, Carter?" He asked, turning away from her without meeting her eyes as he fumbled in the fridge for milk.

Sam smirked. She knew exactly why he'd suddenly become flustered.

"No, thank you. I gave it back."

Jack turned to face her, eyes guarded.

"The milk?" He said, brow creasing. Sam inhaled deeply.

"The ring."

"Oh!" His hands closed tightly around his own mug as he crossed to the counter. The marble countertop provided a good leaning post as he rested his elbows on it and swallowed a gulp of coffee. "Why?" D'oh! So close!

Sam shifted in her seat. She'd started down the road so she might as well continue.

"He, ah, it wasn't right."

Jack straightened up.

"Does this have anything to do with... the thing you came to see me about?"

Sam opened her mouth to speak then closed it again. Staring at him incredulously she took another mouthful of coffee. What did he want her to say?! Yes, Sir, I couldn't marry him because, despite my best efforts, I'm still in love with you!?

Jack could see her reason for hesitation written all over her face. He raised his eyebrow.

"You might find me in a position to understand you better than you think, right now." He ventured, "seeing as how you're not the only one who broke up with someone today."

He waited for that little nugget to sink in and, sure enough, he could see Carter's brain whirring away as it reached a speedy conclusion.

"Oh." She said nervously. "What happened?"

Jack shrugged.

"She seemed to think I had "issues"" he said, giving finger quotation marks. "Apparently I'm unable to give her my full attention."

Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like our job has great hours!"

Jack levelled his gaze at her and Sam could feel a sudden heat rising from her neck to her ears.

"I don't think that's quite what she meant. She told me I should retire."

Sam almost leapt out of her seat.

"WHAT?! But why would you...? you can't-"

Jack smirked.

"Actually I thought her reasons for suggesting it were quite...inviting."

"Oh?" Sam wanted to die about now. She did not want to hear about him waltzing off into the proverbial with Kerry.

"She reckoned it would remove some obstacles, one in particular," Jack grinned. "A certain rule book that's been a pain in our collective mik'tas for, oh, the last 8 years."

Sam's eyes narrowed and she placed her mug down slowly on the counter. She considered his sly expression for a moment. Her face screwed up in confusion. Surely he wasn't talking about-

"You see," he interrupted her train of thought, leaning further across the counter towards her "the thing, the thing we never discuss, which I'm assuming was what you came to my house *to* discuss, is getting kind of old."

Sam started, eyes widening as she pulled away from him. Jack frowned, confused, until he ran that back in his head. Oh, crap! He reached out and grabbed her retreating arm from across the counter.

"*Not* what I meant!" His thumb traced lazy circles across her wrist. "Look, the Goa'uld are gone, I held up my end of the bargain. Now *I* want something in return." Jack glanced down for a moment and then looked into her eyes as he spoke. "I requested a transfer to Washington."

Sam gasped but Jack held up a hand to stop her protest.

"I can't do *this*," he said, gesturing between them, "anymore. I've almost lost you to viruses, aliens, electrical beings and I expected those. Not that it made it any easier," he added, running a hand through his hair. "But to lose you to a human, a cop no less, that's just... a major screw up on my part."

A thought suddenly occurred to him. He laughed out loud and wrung his hands together.

"Anyway, I think I'm kind of jumping the gun here. I haven't even asked you your opinion." He waited. Nothing. "See, I'm starting to think I maybe blew it when you showed me the ring." He grasped one hand between both of his. "You pretty much asked me to give you another option so here it is. Me. No more hiding."

Sam suddenly cracked a huge grin. Under the circumstances she wouldn't have thought she'd be smiling so soon after her Dad's death.

"I'm transferring to Area 51." She stated. This time it was her finger on his lips silencing him. "General Kerrigan has pretty much been begging me to lead up R& D for a while now. If I'm still at the SGC, you'll still be my boss. This way we can do what we want, when we want." She stared up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "Several times a day if I have my way."

Jack just stared at her, eyes wide and lips slightly apart. This was new. This bold, no punches pulled Carter. No, he corrected himself, this wasn't Carter. This was Samantha. He turned to pour his coffee down the sink, rinsing his mug under the faucet. When he was done, he turned to her and fiddled subconsciously with his belt.

"Right! Well then I'd better go. Make some phone calls. Sort a few things."

Sam walked around the bar and placed her mug on the counter behind him. Jack fought the urge to jump backwards as she leaned in just a little too close. Sam looked up into his eyes, inhaling the scent of leather and Jack O'Neill. She reached up to press a palm to his jacket and then stopped herself moments before contact. Jack's breathing was suddenly shallow and she could see that he was having just as hard a time as she was keeping his hands to himself. He cleared his throat as she watched his Adam's apple bob up and down. His long, tanned expanse of skin just begging to be...

"Yeah, you should probably go," she said hoarsely *before I lose it completely* she finished in her head.

He nodded and then without warning marched past her towards the door.

"Jack!" His name on her lips stopped him mid-stride but he refused to turn around. Every nerve in his body was tingling. Sam smiled coyly. "When you get everything squared up... Bring supplies next time."

"Supplies?"

"Yeah, you know, wine, chocolate ice cream... Whipped cream?"

His fingernails dug into his palms so hard they left a mark. *Definitely* Samantha!

"Evil, Carter, Pure evil!"

"Just informing you of my strategy, Sir!"

If he didn't get out of there now there was a good chance he'd end up doing something they'd both regret. Seemed a shame to break the regs after 8 years of waiting.

She watched as he left without looking back, flipping his cell phone out as he walked.

"Walter!" He barked, "Get me a secure line to President Hayes. Now!"


End file.
